


Never Be Blue

by owl_coffee



Category: Maleficent (2014)
Genre: Be Careful What You Wish For, F/F, Flittle is an Idiot, Gen, Nod to Ella Enchanted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2018-08-16 22:41:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8120332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owl_coffee/pseuds/owl_coffee
Summary: Flittle was left trembling on the branch alone, blue butterflies flying anxiously around her. "Your majesty?" she said in a small voice. "I only said, I wished for her always to be happy. What I *exactly* said was, 'my wish is that you'll never be blue, only happy, all the days of your life.' That's a good thing, isn't it? Humans wish for happiness constantly and I - I ensured it!" She gave a little smile of satisfaction.





	1. Only Happy

"You did what?" giggled Aurora at Knotgrass.  
"I wished you the gift of beauty, your highness," explained her old 'Aunt' sniffily. "If one is beautiful, nothing can really go wrong in life. Well, just look at me!" She twirled in the air elegantly, the effect slightly spoiled by her being less than a foot tall.  
"I can't believe it! Of all the things you could have wished for, you chose beauty," said Aurora indignantly. "You said it was a special moment, a time in my life when wishes might be granted!" Aurora continued.  
"There are only ever three wishes granted to a child on their christening. So, naturally, we thought we could provide all three, being magically gifted and thus specially qualified," explained Knotgrass, a little indignant, "You poo-poo the idea of physical attractiveness but you'll have to admit, with the other qualities we were going to bestow on you, you would have had the perfect life!"  
"Go on then," smiled Aurora, "What were the other qualities?"  
Knotgrass was a little mollified. "You see, Flittle had the bright idea of wishing you a happy life, which is obviously a good thing, and Thistletwit, hm, I forget what Thistletwit was going to wish for. You see, she was interrupted by the bad witch - I mean, Maleficent - Maleficent!"  
Aurora couldn't help but laugh as her godmother approached behind Knotgrass during this account, making the little fairy turn around and squeak. "My apologies, your highness!" she exclaimed.  
"I don't go by that title any more, Knotgrass," said Maleficent kindly. "Go on with your tale. I wasn't around, for that part." She looked pensive. "I arrived later."  
Aurora knew she was thinking of the silly old curse. There was no need to fret over it so, it was in the past, so she smiled and hugged her godmother a moment to comfort her. "Do go on, Knotgrass," she urged, herself.  
With two queens seated in the grass in front of her attentively Knotgrass momentarily lost the power of speech. Fortunately her fellow flitter fairies were never far behind and Flittle flew over to perch beside her and speak instead. Thistletwit couldn't bear to be left out and they squabbled for a moment over who would speak first. "I remember it best!" shouted Knotgrass, "and besides, it's my turn to tell the queens, you promised!"  
"No, it's my turn, Thistletwit did it last time!" sulked Flittle.  
"Didn't!" shrieked Thistletwit.  
"Did! It was about that enchanted bear," said Flittle.  
"That wasn't really telling them," protested Thistletwit, "That was just pointing out something obvio- "  
"Well, I remember it as if it was yesterday - " Knotgrass tried to continue, but was interrupted again by Flittle.  
"Anyway, you got my wish wrong!" Flittle exclaimed. "I didn't just wish for her to have a 'happy life'."  
"Yes you did, don't you remember?" asked Thistletwit.  
"No, dunderhead, I wished for her _always to be happy_. That's completely different! A happy life might have moments of sadness, of complete misery, even! Our Aurora was spared all that thanks to me."  
"I don't see that it makes any difference," frowned Knotgrass.  
All three were silenced by a cold look from Maleficent, who still retained all her old mastery and could bring it out in an instant. "What did you say?" she asked slowly.  
"Well, I said that I don't think it makes any -" Thistletwit's high pitched little voice was cut off as a golden mist enveloped her and sent her drifting to sleep. The same happened to Knotgrass in an instant and Flittle was left trembling on the branch alone, blue butterflies flying anxiously around her.  
"Your majesty?" she said in a small voice. "I only said, I wished for her always to be happy. What I _exactly_ said was, 'my wish is that you'll never be blue, only happy, all the days of your life.' That's a good thing, isn't it? Humans wish for happiness constantly and I - I ensured it!" She gave a little smile of satisfaction.  
"You did WHAT?!" Maleficent's wings swept the little flitter fae off the branch and into the stream as she rose in anger.  
Aurora was a little worried. "Do come down, it's fine!" she exclaimed. "I think it's a lovely wish!" In truth she wasn't sure what Maleficent was angry about.  
"How dare you! To destroy her free will, forever! And I thought that I was a monster... " Maleficent gazed at Aurora and seemed struck by what she saw. The golden glow faded from the little fairies as she thought and they woke and flew about nervously. "Dearest. It can't be true. It can't have worked. You must have known a moment of sadness?" asked Maleficent gently.  
Aurora wasn't really sure what sadness meant in truth. That sweet pang of heart-sickness when thinking of a beautiful melody? The moment of anticipation before opening a present? "Oh - of course I have!" she exclaimed, "Everyone has times when they're blue."  
Maleficent's eyes narrowed. "But can you recall an actual _incident_? A time when you cried, for example? Humans use tears to signify great sadness."  
Aurora frowned. Nothing seemed to come to mind. Then she brightened with realisation, "Onions! Onions make me sad, Godmother. I always cry, sometimes for minutes at a time, when I have to cut them." She was so pleased to have an answer. Everything was fine, after all.  
Diaval cawwed loudly at this. Maleficent absently said "Into a man."  
Diaval shook himself as he grew into his shape. "Your majesty, onions _make_ humans cry. 'Tis nothing to do with sadness," he explained, "You idiot, Flittle! Have you no brains at all? Do you realise what you've done?"  
Maleficent was still shaking her head, clearly upset. "What of when your mother died? You must have cried then? I know how painful that is!"  
Aurora shook her head, bewildered. In truth she never thought of her human mother. "You know I never truly met her, Godmother. I was living in the woods, with you and the others!"  
"And us!" interjected the flitter faes, huddling together now. "We took good care of you when you were a little baby, you know," smiled Thistlewit nervously, "You had such a lovely girlhood, you were always bright and laughing for us!"  
"That's the _point_ , idiots," snapped Diaval. "She could hardly do anything else. You cursed her!"  
"Now listen, I'm not one to defend Flittle as a rule but I'd hardly call it a curse - " began Knotgrass indignantly, but she was slammed to the ground by a cold wind that started to spiral around Maleficent. There was a dark cloud growing overhead and the flowers were stripped from the trees around them by the frosty gusts. Green fire began to swirl about the end of the staff she held and the darkness grew around them. She looked angrier than Aurora had ever seen her. Maleficent commanded, "Take it back."  
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea - " gasped Flittle.  
Maleficent pointed at Flittle and pinned the terrified little fairy with a spear of green fire. "Take. It. Back."  
"I can't, I don't know how!" said Flittle.  
"Try!" The sky was completely black now.  
"Um, um, as I will so mote it be, let the wish lifted be?" tried Flittle in a tiny voice. There was a small flicker of light.  
"Aurora?" asked Maleficent, hopefully.  
Aurora didn't feel any different, and shrugged. "Sorry, Godmother," she smiled.  
"Try again," commanded Maleficent. "I'll help you."  
"As I will, so mote it be - " the voices rang out in unison and a glow began around Aurora. It seemed to shine from within her flesh. " - let the wish lifted be!" It rang out like a thunderbolt and then Aurora was swallowed up by darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

When Aurora awoke, the world had changed. Something inside her hurt, felt clenched and twisted and raw. To begin with, all Aurora could do was sob in shock and pain. Gradually, it subsided and Aurora could look around her again. She felt a gentle hand on her back and realised it had been there all along.  
"Godmother?" said Aurora, shakily.  
"I'm here, dearest," said her godmother's voice. Aurora turned to see Maleficent with a sad look in her eyes that called forth a wave of pain inside Aurora again, this time a bitter taste in the throat and a prickling in her eyes.  
"What's happening to me?" said Aurora.  
"We gave back what was taken from you," said Maleficent, unsteadily. "Your normal human emotions. You're free, now, to react as you should have done all along."  
"It hurts! Make it stop!" pleaded Aurora.  
Maleficent shook her head, and Aurora couldn't look at her face for a moment, the reflected pain was too intense.  
"I refuse to curse you again," Maleficent said, firmly. "You'll grow accustomed to this, with time."  
"How could anyone become accustomed to _this_?" Aurora asked. "I can't bear it!" She stood up and pulled aside the willow curtain, stepped away from Maleficent on uncertain legs.  
"Dear one - " said Maleficent, reaching for her again.  
"Get away!" Aurora couldn't bear to look at her face. "Don't look at me!" Treading down flowers and grass, she ran away across the meadow. She slipped on a patch of mud but got up and kept running, faster and faster.  
Maleficent landed in front of her, huge dark wings flapping gently. "Where are you going?" she asked.  
"Away - I don't know - get it out!" Aurora clutched at her head with her hands.  
Maleficent came a little closer, her fingers beginning to glow with yellow sparkles of light.  
"No!" shouted Aurora, and Maleficent stopped.  
"I was just going to put you to sleep for a moment," she said.  
"No, I don't want you to!" said Aurora, her heart feeling like a bird fluttering in the cage of her ribs. "I never want you to do that again!" Taking away moments from Aurora, stopping her from arguing, making them do what Maleficent wanted to do. Waking up in strange places.  
Maleficent said, "You never minded before," and then put her hand to her lips, eyes wide.  
"I hated it! And, and I hate you! If you won't fix me, then just get out of my way!" Aurora shouted, and turned to run again. This time, no-one stood in her path. She ran and ran until her legs felt so tired it almost outweighed the pounding in her head, until she had thorn scratches on her legs and mud trailing up her dress. Until she'd left the Moor behind entirely.  
  
"Well, that went well," said Diaval, legs dangling off the ledge beside her. Maleficent covered her eyes with her hands.  
"Did I do wrong?" she asked. "All I wanted was to fix things. But now she's hurting! It's my fault."  
"I think you'll find it's Flittle's fault, actually," Diaval said, pursing his lips. "Silly little idiot."  
"I don't even know where she went. Back to her own kingdom, I suppose." Maleficent had never seen Aurora look at her like that before. Like she _was_ bad, after all. The wicked fairy. Aurora had looked so broken open, so angry with her. "I don't think she'll ever come back."  
"Don't worry," Diaval said with an attempt at a reassuring grin. "These things take time. She'll come around when she's ready."  
  
It was months before they heard anything of Aurora again. The forest people wished for their gentle summer-blonde Queen to return as soon as possible, for without her Maleficent grew bitter and lashed out at her attendants with angry words and sometimes bolts of wild magic. The trees supporting her throne grew a little thornier, day by day, as Aurora still did not appear, was not heard from. When news of her was finally heard - safe in the human kingdom but refusing to talk with anyone from the Moor - the sky darkened a fraction. The day the wedding invitation arrived, a bolt of lightning split the sky and torrential rain came down on the Moor, soaking everyone to the skin and tearing petals from delicate flowers.  
"Do you think it's a good idea to go?" panted Diaval as he followed Maleficent, striding away from the edge of the Moor, her wings furled stubbornly against the rain. "You know your history with attending royal events - "  
"Into a bird," Maleficent ordered coolly, and Diaval perched himself indignantly on her shoulder, still cawing at her.

Ignoring the glances and fearful mutterings of the village humans, Maleficent strode on towards the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

"If you want," said Aurora indifferently. Philip put eager hands on her skin and she shivered, thinking of Maleficent's hands. He took that as encouragement and unfastened the ties of her bodice, hitched up her skirt around her hips before she could decide whether she liked it or not. "Oh, Aurora! May I? Please?" Aurora wasn't quite sure what he was asking, but he was so excited, it would feel rude to back away now. Besides, best of all, he didn't make her feel anything except a little physically awkward, even like this. If it were _Maleficent_ looking at her like that ... He propped himself above her and grabbed her hips, poking away at her uncomfortably. Just as Aurora was on the point of  pushing him away, Philip squirmed, gasped, closed his eyes a moment. "Thank you," he murmured, sounding overwhelmed. For what? A little heaving and shoving?  
"You're welcome," said Aurora automatically, polite. Philip rolled off her and lay beside her on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.  
"Was that good for you, too?" he asked after a moment.  
Aurora yawned. "It was fine," she said, trying to reassure him. So that was what _marital congress_ meant. It wasn't quite how she had pictured it, but it was - fine. Not something she was really interested in repeating. How often did married people usually do this? Aurora wondered. Once for each baby, she supposed.  
"- never dishonour you, my Queen," Philip was saying. "Of course I will stand beside you. When do you wish to hold the wedding?"  
  
It all went rather quickly after that. Aurora felt as if she'd loosed the bridle of a strong horse, felt borne along with no way to steer. There was a fuss about the invitations, some to the Moor of course, wedding-dress fittings to stand through, flower-arrangements and seating precedence diagrams and deputations from cooks and bakers until Aurora thought she could scream. Aurora was still learning to name emotions she felt - _anxiety_ was the main note at the moment. Just doing what everyone wanted of her turned out to be a lot of work, and it still wasn't making her happy.

Aurora never felt the way she had before, under the spell, except perhaps for a few scattered moments when she could sit alone and remember her innocent times on the Moor with Maleficent. She had thrown mud and surprised her sensible Godmother, made Maleficent double over in laughter with a smear of mud on her perfect cheekbone while her laugh was echoed and rejoined by Aurora. But those feelings weren't real, Aurora reminded herself. She was made to feel that way. _Always happy_. Even in a nightmare situation, in the woods at night alone surrounded by awful creatures. Even Maleficent had known that Aurora was supposed to be afraid of her.


	4. Chapter 4

"- if any man should object to this union, he must speak now or forever hold his piece," intoned the priest, solemnly. There was a loud squawking from the back of the cathedral, and a fierce "Shh!". Aurora turned around dully to see who was making the noise.  
  
It was Maleficent. Black wings folded, she looked unusually contrite as the courtiers turned to stare at her, frightened. Many of them remembered Aurora's christening, clutched at one another, muttered with indignation and fear. "What's she doing here?". Someone in the front row collapsed.  
Maleficent looked faintly horrified by all the attention. "Don't mind me," she drawled. "Carry on. I - " and she glared at the bird on her shoulder, who spread his wings unrepentantly, "don't intend to interrupt." Maleficent took a breath. "I'm just here to see her. To see my - to see Queen Aurora."   
Some people turned around again, relaxed. But it had set off a strange, glittering cascade in Aurora's mind. She suddenly realised why she'd allowed herself to be so swept up in the wedding preparations, why she'd agreed to it. Some part of her had wanted this moment, had wanted an excuse to confront Maleficent again, here on her home ground this time. Aurora found she didn't care what else happened today.

The priest began to speak the next part of the ceremony but she motioned him to stop, frowning. Aurora put down her bouquet.  
"Get out, all of you. Leave us!" said Aurora to the courtiers. When they hesitated, chattering and twittering, she added, "That's an order from your Queen!" They left her, then, even the lady's-maid who had been holding up the train of the ridiculous wedding-dress. Only Philip remained. "And you!" she spat at him. "Why are you still here when I ordered you to be gone?"  
"Aurora?" he said. "But, we are to be married?"  
"Please leave," said Aurora, and he left.  
Diaval flew away too, after Maleficent shook him off her staff where he was perching. It was just the two of them. A last hurrying set of footsteps came by the door to the echoing hall, but Maleficent sent a lazy spiral of green fire to slam it shut.  
  
Maleficent stood there, just looking at her. It was so good to see her. Those awful, choking feelings rose up in Aurora's chest, but at least she could put a name to them now, after these painful months. Anger. Resentment. Sadness. And something running under the surface of all of them, which Aurora still could not yet name. Well, she could name the rest and why they were there. She had waited for this.  
"How dare you!" shouted Aurora, almost blinded by tears. "How dare you play with my mind, put me to sleep, curse me? I've never lived a normal human life, because of you! My father wronged you so you took it out on me - how could you do that, Godmother? I was an innocent child!"  
Maleficent stood and took the onslaught, the corners of her mouth drawing down and her cheeks growing pale. She did not try to justify herself or her actions. Even when Aurora swore at her, filthy words she hadn't known until recently, Maleficent stood still.  
"And I kept _thinking_ of you, while I was away from you, and _wanting_ you and now you're here and it makes me _happy_ ," Aurora continued, weeping. She walked forward, stumbled and nearly tripped over the train of the pouffy white dress, grabbing onto Maleficent's arms to catch herself.  
Maleficent looked surprised, took Aurora gently by the shoulders to support her. "I don't understand, dear one. You wanted to see me?"  
"Of course! I sent you an invitation, didn't I?" said Aurora, not understanding it herself. "I should hate you!" She saw Maleficent's face fall. "But I don't," she added, more softly.  
"I'm so sorry. For everything," said Maleficent. She let go of Aurora, stepped back a moment. "I shouldn't have come here, even though you invited me. But I missed you so."  
"I've missed you too," admitted Aurora to herself. "I thought that was the spell, but it's not because I still feel it."  
"May I - hold you?" asked Maleficent, tentatively.   
"Oh, please," Aurora breathed, and felt Maleficent's arms enfold her. Soft black wings surrounded them and blocked out the world for a moment. And for a precious instant Aurora felt - happy. Not the kind of happiness that ignores complications. But a happiness that grew inside her naturally, despite her pain, like a flower on the Moor blossoming out of the mud.  
  
Calling off the wedding was painful. Naming the feeling, which was getting easier as time went on, it was _embarrassment_. Aurora had publicly committed to something and it felt hard to go back on her word. But once the wedding cake had been fed to the townsfolk and the flowers had rotted down into compost - and Aurora had ordered the ridiculous dress to be made into bed-stuffing - she felt a little better.  
Philip - and his father the Duke of Borovia, more awkwardly - didn't understand it at all, but some generous diplomatic concessions and the announcement that the Queen felt herself too young to marry yet helped to smooth things over. And then there was finally time to return to the Moor and enjoy the company of the fairy folk.   
  
"She's back!" shouted Thistletwit to Diaval, turning round and around in the air dizzily. "She's here!"  
"*I* wanted to tell it first, idiot," grumbled Knotgrass, pouting. Flittle sucked on a finger, anxiously. "You don't think she'll be angry with us, do you?"  
"Don't worry," said Aurora's voice behind them. "I'm not very angry with you any more." She came into view, holding Maleficent's hand. "Godmother told me how you promised never to grant a wish to a human child again. I think that's a very wise idea."  
"I never even got a _chance_ \- " began Thistletwit, before being poked into silence by Knotgrass.  
"Thank you, your majesty," said Flittle, her blue butterflies spiralling around them excitedly. "We're sorry."  
"I know we weren't the best Aunts for a baby," admitted Knotgrass. "But I hope we can still be friends."  
"I hope so too," said Aurora, still holding Maleficent's hand tightly.  
"It's good to see you back, your majesty," said Diaval, bowing.   
Aurora smiled at him but only had eyes for Maleficent. The dark-winged Queen looked back with a face full of wonder and love.  
"Dearest?" asked Maleficent, bending her head down a little. Aurora nodded. Maleficent pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and Aurora closed her eyes a moment on a surge of emotion.   
"I'm happy to be back," Aurora said, quietly.

**Author's Note:**

> Check the throne room scene in the movie, about 27 minutes in, for this detail. It makes a lot of sense, if you think about it. Think about the scene when the toddler Aurora falls off a cliff by accident and is caught by Maleficent. She's laughing even before she reaches safety. Yes, there's a sunny, happy childhood but her childhood was hardly idyllic - she was raised by neglectful 'aunts' who didn't understand what her humanity meant, and all her interactions with Maleficent should have been menacing, at least to a small child - but she always laughs and smiles.
> 
> With regards to 'Ella Enchanted' for the idea.


End file.
